Longtime community pool on cusp of closing after lack of memberships

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -

A longtime South Bend neighborhood pool is on the cusp of closing.

The Twyckenham Hills Community Pool, the last community pool on the south side, needs memberships quickly; otherwise the family oriented space could be closed for the season.

The pool board is hoping for at least 100 to 150 memberships by Friday, March 31.

Chris Garber lives in the neighborhood and is one of those pool board members.

“We need 200 for the operational income to run the pool for the entire season,” said Garber.

Amy Thibault is the pool’s swim team coach.

“This has been around for 50 or 60 years. I mean these kids; they’ve grown up coming here. For them not to come here would be heartbreaking,” said Thibault.

Lynnette Alexander, another pool board member, said kids and families would be devastated.

“If we don’t open there are going to be several families that will be disappointed. Especially the kids that have grown up, made friends here at the pool and been best friends for 18-plus years,” said Alexander.

Even after a successful open house Monday night to encourage new memberships, the board still finds themselves nearly 50 memberships shy of their goal.

Just over $1,200 has been donated to their GoFundMe page so far, but time is running out.

The board is hoping to reach a decision on what to do by Monday next week.